Amicable

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ˈæ.mɪ.kə.bəl/

Definitions

1. Characterized by a friendly and cooperative attitude among individuals
2. Marked by goodwill and a harmonious approach toward others
3. Displaying a kind and cooperative spirit in interactions

Etymology: "Amicable" and "amiable" are near-twins that split apart in English. Both descend from Latin "amicus" ("friend"), but "amicable" came into English through Late Latin "amicabilis" ("friendly"), and it arrived in Middle English meaning "agreeable" or "pleasant" in a general sense, not specifically about friendship between people. The two words then diverged in meaning. "Amiable" settled into describing a person's pleasant, good-natured temperament, while "amicable" drifted toward something done in a friendly spirit, such as an amicable divorce or an amicable settlement, where the parties avoid hostility. Because they share a root, they are called doublets: two forms of one word that entered the language by different routes and ended up with related but distinct uses.

Synonyms: friendly, cordial, harmonious

Antonyms: hostile, antagonistic